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The Sins We Reap
It’s been two months since the events in Ambril’s basement.
Over two months since Liliya Bonded to Addeon. Two months since he almost killed her.
Two months since he left and blocked Liliya from his side of the Bond.
But it’s not just Addeon who’s gone—mortalinar from all over Central City have been disappearing. And when a member of the faction Liliya’s joined to fight the Ministry goes missing, her trustworthiness is questioned, especially as a former Keeper who wanted to kill monsters not that long ago.
Desperate to prove that she’s not who she used to be—and desperate to find Addeon—Liliya sinks deeper and deeper into the sins of Central City, fighting to unearth its secrets while her desire for vengeance against the Ministry grows.
But she may just unearth a different kind of monster while she’s at it.
Her own.
Over two months since Liliya Bonded to Addeon. Two months since he almost killed her.
Two months since he left and blocked Liliya from his side of the Bond.
But it’s not just Addeon who’s gone—mortalinar from all over Central City have been disappearing. And when a member of the faction Liliya’s joined to fight the Ministry goes missing, her trustworthiness is questioned, especially as a former Keeper who wanted to kill monsters not that long ago.
Desperate to prove that she’s not who she used to be—and desperate to find Addeon—Liliya sinks deeper and deeper into the sins of Central City, fighting to unearth its secrets while her desire for vengeance against the Ministry grows.
But she may just unearth a different kind of monster while she’s at it.
Her own.
517 pages, Paperback
Published March 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 26, 2026
In short: The story takes a darker turn, which leads to an emotionally gripping sequel featuring pure rage, crushing guilt, yearning, and masterfully written character arcs.
Not so short: For me, this was a classic case of: Did I finish this book, or did this book finish me? Don’t expect a completely analytical review because I was VERY emotionally involved in this!
But first, let me tell you, I marvelled at the way Kelsey Epler manages to paint such a vivid picture of Central City. Not only the political and religious situation there, but also the vibe and atmosphere in every scene, every situation. So even if the world in these books is kind of “small” (we don’t hear much about the other countries or wars overseas), it is very well done. One minor point of criticism is that we’re still slightly in the dark about the origin of the monsters, especially since it was a recurring question (“what would the world be like without monsters?”), as well as the reason why there are only monsters in this country.
I liked the writing in this book even more than in the first, and in my opinion, the author is a master of writing authentic and highly enjoyable dialogue. And character arcs. Which brings me to LILIYA. Oh boy. ( SPOILERS AHEAD! ) We accompany her while she spirals due to Addeon’s absence and her crushing guilt, which essentially leads to her breaking under the weight of her emotions and starting a killing spree. Murdering people left and right whom she considers the “real monsters,” she forgets that not even three months ago, she belonged to them herself. Forgetting that probably not all her victims know about the Ministry’s actions and corruption. And while I understood her anger to a certain degree, there came a point where I realised that she was completely out of control, presumably driven by the desire to atone for the years before. Combined with her rage, she forgets everything around her, which leads to STUPID, EGOISTICAL, and UNFORGIVABLE choices. Yes, your Lord Protector and Addeon may one day forgive you, BUT I WILL NOT. And while I personally hated her arc and spiral, I have to acknowledge that it’s very well done.
Poor Addeon deserves so much better, and my heart honestly broke for him. And for the first time (embarrassingly so), I considered whether he might actually just be suffering from some version of Stockholm syndrome. Like, WHY does he love Liliya? She brought him anger and hate when he was caged, and maybe that was better than nothing? My poor baby! But I’ve got to say, we could’ve been spared this disaster if he had just written:
“Dearest keeper of my heart, since I almost killed you, I’m crushed by guilt and need to learn some control. Also, I spent the last ten years in a cage without windows and kind of need to find myself, which I can only do on my own. I’m sorry. Please don’t follow me. I’m not leaving you—I’ll be back. Please stay safe.”
That wouldn’t have been so hard and wouldn’t have given away his location either, but well.
Last thoughts on the side characters: So well done, huge compliment. I adore Brixian and Elidin, and I’m feeling a deep love-hate relationship toward Amena for being a chaos-spreading, sassy queen and an absolute ass. They enriched the story a lot! So honestly, chapeau for the character work.
I would love to have book three TODAY and desperately hope that Addeon finally gets all the happiness, freedom, and love he deserves.
Not so short: For me, this was a classic case of: Did I finish this book, or did this book finish me? Don’t expect a completely analytical review because I was VERY emotionally involved in this!
But first, let me tell you, I marvelled at the way Kelsey Epler manages to paint such a vivid picture of Central City. Not only the political and religious situation there, but also the vibe and atmosphere in every scene, every situation. So even if the world in these books is kind of “small” (we don’t hear much about the other countries or wars overseas), it is very well done. One minor point of criticism is that we’re still slightly in the dark about the origin of the monsters, especially since it was a recurring question (“what would the world be like without monsters?”), as well as the reason why there are only monsters in this country.
I liked the writing in this book even more than in the first, and in my opinion, the author is a master of writing authentic and highly enjoyable dialogue. And character arcs. Which brings me to LILIYA. Oh boy. ( SPOILERS AHEAD! ) We accompany her while she spirals due to Addeon’s absence and her crushing guilt, which essentially leads to her breaking under the weight of her emotions and starting a killing spree. Murdering people left and right whom she considers the “real monsters,” she forgets that not even three months ago, she belonged to them herself. Forgetting that probably not all her victims know about the Ministry’s actions and corruption. And while I understood her anger to a certain degree, there came a point where I realised that she was completely out of control, presumably driven by the desire to atone for the years before. Combined with her rage, she forgets everything around her, which leads to STUPID, EGOISTICAL, and UNFORGIVABLE choices. Yes, your Lord Protector and Addeon may one day forgive you, BUT I WILL NOT. And while I personally hated her arc and spiral, I have to acknowledge that it’s very well done.
Poor Addeon deserves so much better, and my heart honestly broke for him. And for the first time (embarrassingly so), I considered whether he might actually just be suffering from some version of Stockholm syndrome. Like, WHY does he love Liliya? She brought him anger and hate when he was caged, and maybe that was better than nothing? My poor baby! But I’ve got to say, we could’ve been spared this disaster if he had just written:
“Dearest keeper of my heart, since I almost killed you, I’m crushed by guilt and need to learn some control. Also, I spent the last ten years in a cage without windows and kind of need to find myself, which I can only do on my own. I’m sorry. Please don’t follow me. I’m not leaving you—I’ll be back. Please stay safe.”
That wouldn’t have been so hard and wouldn’t have given away his location either, but well.
Last thoughts on the side characters: So well done, huge compliment. I adore Brixian and Elidin, and I’m feeling a deep love-hate relationship toward Amena for being a chaos-spreading, sassy queen and an absolute ass. They enriched the story a lot! So honestly, chapeau for the character work.
I would love to have book three TODAY and desperately hope that Addeon finally gets all the happiness, freedom, and love he deserves.
April 25, 2026
This second book was honestly tough to get through. As with the first, the world building was excellent and the writing was engaging. I just could not get on board with anything Liliya chose to do. I found her very unlikable and still can’t see why Addeon would love her. On L’s side, it feels more like obsession than love. On A’s side, I’m truly at a loss. I also didn’t particularly care for any of the side characters, either. Elidin had promise, I suppose, but not enough to make me invested in him. The story itself, while well written, dragged quite a bit and felt repetitive. I’m still going to read the third book and look forward to other works by this author.
April 17, 2025
GUYS MY FRIENDS MY LOVES
THIS BOOK
JUST RIPPED OUT MY HEART
and I mean that in the very best of ways. Kelsey Epler has such a way of reaching into my chest and making me FEEL. (she also makes me hurt, which is rude, but I'll overlook it because I'm desperately in love with my guy Addeon). The story picks up a few months after Addeon left (cry) and we have Liliya combatting the darker sides of herself.
Those sins, guys. She's learning them all.
I don't want to spoil it but let me just say the DREAM SEQUENCES. ELIDIN. MY ETERNAL LOVE ADDEON.
I will not apologise for my unhinged review because this book has my heart and so does my favourite monster. But let me just say Liliya's arc in this book is *chef's kiss*. And the ANGST??? I spent the entire time dying in the sweetest of agonies.
Also the ending was criminal because I don't have the next book in my hands??? What is this nonsense??
As always, Kelsey packs a kick with her prose and could slay a dragon with her sexual chemistry (don't question my metaphorical language, it makes sense in my head okay, that shit's powerful) and I am here for every single word she writes. I will be living in a state of anticipation before the next book.
THIS BOOK
JUST RIPPED OUT MY HEART
and I mean that in the very best of ways. Kelsey Epler has such a way of reaching into my chest and making me FEEL. (she also makes me hurt, which is rude, but I'll overlook it because I'm desperately in love with my guy Addeon). The story picks up a few months after Addeon left (cry) and we have Liliya combatting the darker sides of herself.
Those sins, guys. She's learning them all.
I don't want to spoil it but let me just say the DREAM SEQUENCES. ELIDIN. MY ETERNAL LOVE ADDEON.
I will not apologise for my unhinged review because this book has my heart and so does my favourite monster. But let me just say Liliya's arc in this book is *chef's kiss*. And the ANGST??? I spent the entire time dying in the sweetest of agonies.
Also the ending was criminal because I don't have the next book in my hands??? What is this nonsense??
As always, Kelsey packs a kick with her prose and could slay a dragon with her sexual chemistry (don't question my metaphorical language, it makes sense in my head okay, that shit's powerful) and I am here for every single word she writes. I will be living in a state of anticipation before the next book.
April 17, 2025
After reading the first book, there was NO WAY I was missing out on the second.
And boy was I not disappointed.
If you love female rage, you are going to LOVE this book. After Addeon left Liliya, she hunts for him while seeking revenge on the Council, and it was just so deliciously dark and angsty. And ADDEON. Fear not, he makes a reappearance, and it's so much fun watching their dynamic as they're navigating their love with all the problems that reality throws at them.
Also Elidin is one of my new favourite characters of all time. He could have chemistry with a brick wall. Obviously no one beats Addeon, my future husband, but honestly Elidin comes a really close second. He's so beautifully sassy. So effortlessly funny. I just... I love him.
As for Alec, well. I won't rant, because otherwise I'll be here all night, but let's just say I love Elidin more.
Read it. You love it. Kelsey Epler is a criminally underrated new author and she deserves more eyes on her gorgeous series. So mad I have to wait for so long for book three because THAT ENDING. GUYS. MY HEART.
And boy was I not disappointed.
If you love female rage, you are going to LOVE this book. After Addeon left Liliya, she hunts for him while seeking revenge on the Council, and it was just so deliciously dark and angsty. And ADDEON. Fear not, he makes a reappearance, and it's so much fun watching their dynamic as they're navigating their love with all the problems that reality throws at them.
Also Elidin is one of my new favourite characters of all time. He could have chemistry with a brick wall. Obviously no one beats Addeon, my future husband, but honestly Elidin comes a really close second. He's so beautifully sassy. So effortlessly funny. I just... I love him.
As for Alec, well. I won't rant, because otherwise I'll be here all night, but let's just say I love Elidin more.
Read it. You love it. Kelsey Epler is a criminally underrated new author and she deserves more eyes on her gorgeous series. So mad I have to wait for so long for book three because THAT ENDING. GUYS. MY HEART.
April 28, 2025
𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝑳𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒚𝒂. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕.
The only question continues to be: Who are the monsters worth killing? After the first book Liliya is determined to make up for the sins of her past and all the sins she knows are being done "in the name of good." The search for revenge takes her through darkness where she has to fight for what she has lost and struggle to stay in the fight at the same time.
After the first book, my expectations were high and Kelsey Epler did not disappoint. This book has all of the slow burn, romance and dreams, female angst, plot twists, deception and heart break you could ask for. This book kept me wanting more until the very end and now more than ever I can't wait for the third book. The Sins We Reap has to be one of the best second books of a trilogy I have ever read and I cannot recommend this book enough.
The only question continues to be: Who are the monsters worth killing? After the first book Liliya is determined to make up for the sins of her past and all the sins she knows are being done "in the name of good." The search for revenge takes her through darkness where she has to fight for what she has lost and struggle to stay in the fight at the same time.
After the first book, my expectations were high and Kelsey Epler did not disappoint. This book has all of the slow burn, romance and dreams, female angst, plot twists, deception and heart break you could ask for. This book kept me wanting more until the very end and now more than ever I can't wait for the third book. The Sins We Reap has to be one of the best second books of a trilogy I have ever read and I cannot recommend this book enough.
May 1, 2025
🎵 Liliya....
The Sins We Reap is the second book after 'The Monsters We Keep' (you must read the first one to start).
I wasn't sure what to expect in the second one...but it sure as hell did not disappoint! We get action, drama, tension ♨️, torture, angst, heartache, humor, new characters, mysteries and discoveries...it has it all.
Epler has correlated real world issues into her world that are extremely relatable bringing you that much closer to the characters and situations they find themselves in.
I can't wait for the third book! 🖤
The Sins We Reap is the second book after 'The Monsters We Keep' (you must read the first one to start).
I wasn't sure what to expect in the second one...but it sure as hell did not disappoint! We get action, drama, tension ♨️, torture, angst, heartache, humor, new characters, mysteries and discoveries...it has it all.
Epler has correlated real world issues into her world that are extremely relatable bringing you that much closer to the characters and situations they find themselves in.
I can't wait for the third book! 🖤
April 18, 2025
Kelsey's ability to make me fall in love with fictional men needs to be studied because there are now THREE potential husbands for me in this book and I want them all
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews